Boat Owners’ Antenna Buyer’s Guide, How to make a bridle for secure mooring, Designing and making your own sails, 48 launch checks for skipper and…
Practical Boat Owner
May 2026 Issue – out 12 March
59 low cost upgrades to enhance your boat; How to reduce weather helm; Boat repairs in a Force 9 storm; Designing and building your own…
Drying out: how to safely take the ground
Having your boat prepared to take the ground can open up new cruising opportunities - and save you cash! Ben Meakins and PBO experts share their tips for drying out
Collective Spirit: a boat of a thousand pieces
Built to mark the Cultural Olympiad in 2012, Collective Spirit is a unique boat built due to a collaboration between artists and the sailing world. David Harding went to see…
How I used salt to add non-slip to my cabin floors
The cabin sole on my Contessa 32 has a lot of nicely varnished hardwood-faced ply joinery. But part of the sole is on a slope which doesn’t help when walking…
How to trace tricky boat leaks
Boat leaks are the bane of a sailor’s life, but with patience their source can be traced. Here are some ideas of where to start...
How one skipper fixed his fuel problems with a diesel day tank
The wind was dying with the light after a lively passage down the western Peloponnese, but the lumpy sea remained. As we sloshed around in the swell my wife, Maxi,…
Lessons from the ARC: 24 top cruising hacks for blue-water sailing
Laura Hodgetts caught up with the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers sailors for their best blue-water sailing hacks for everything from maintenance to lifejackets to lifestyle. 1. Winch upgrade Skipper Henrik…
Chance to win a Seafarer charter holiday prize in aid of the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is auctioning off a one-week sailing holiday in Greece, which the charity was gifted by Seafarer Cruising & Sailing Holidays.
How one boat owner made a mooring bridle to secure his yacht
Greg Manning explains how he made a bridle to ensure his Fairey Atalanta remains safe in a storm while on a swinging mooring
Start of season boaters’ checklist
As excitement builds for the new sailing season, minimise the risk of shakedown cruise glitches and common mistakes with this handy guide.
Storm 22: the spirited performer that will satisfy racers and cruisers
The Polish-built Storm 22 is a sporty weekender that is small enough to be easily handled and large enough for overnighting
Fish n slips: hauling out the traditional way
In a quiet Norfolk backwater a fleet of classic yachts is still fished out of the water and slipped the traditional way – with chip fat – writes Richard Johnstone-Bryden
Plywood veneer: how to cut and fit it
Wood veneer can revitalise and add a touch of class to many boats. Richard Johnstone-Bryden shares advice on techniques for cutting, gluing and fitting ply veneer
Forgotten seamanship: How to use anchors to manoeuvre without an engine
Dick Everitt passes on a few tips about alternative ways of using your anchor
Trapper 500: a head-turning beauty
Looking for a reasonably-priced and solidly-built second-hand cruising yacht, Richard Reed was smitten by the Trapper 500
PBO Conquers the Island with Mike Golding and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
The inaugural Conquer the Island challenge, a 10-hour clockwise circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, was organised by the historic London club, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. PBO…
Glaciers, williwaw gusts & dodging drifting ice: Cruising the Beagle Channel with a French legend
Marina Guedes sails the Beagle Channel with Jérôme Poncet aboard Damien 2
Fitting and sealing new deck gear and winches
Rupert Holmes shares how he redesigned and refitted the deck hardware on his Quarter-Tonner, Minestrone
Mirror Dinghy: the versatile first boat for thousands of sailors
The ‘car top dinghy’ that can be launched and sailed in most coastal and inshore waters, with more than 70,000 built since 1963
Building a boat swimming platform: step-by-step
If you want to get the best from the British summer, a smart bathing platform can be a fabulous addition to your boat. Richard Johnstone-Bryden shows how it’s done
Why do boaters need to buy Class M compliant Man Overboard (MOB) devices?
Ofcom plans to phase out legacy man-overboard (MOB) automatic identification system (AIS) devices - after 2030, boaters need to upgrade to Class M compliant equipment.